This event is all ages

Share This Event

Austin Carlile - Vocals
Alan Ashby - Guitar
Valentino Arteaga - Drums
Phil Manasala - Guitar
Of Mice & Men is on a mission.
Tastemaker publications like Alternative Press, Outburn and the
UK's Big Cheese have put them on the cover. Kerrang! placed singer
Austin Carlile amongst the Top 25 living rock stars. Of Mice & Men
continuously dominates the stage, whether they're on the Vans
Warped Tour, headlining, supporting veteran bands like As I Lay Dying
or leading sing-alongs at festivals around the world. The group's
ampersand ("&") symbol is as ubiquitous as it is synonymous with the
group's charismatic passion, unique creativity and pulsating energy.
What's the secret? And what is the Of Mice & Men mission,
exactly? The answer to both questions is in one word: Inspiration.
"I hope that anyone that hears our band can walk away from the
experience thinking, 'I've been through something similar. I know
where they are coming from and listening to this music has helped
me,'" Carlile explains. "Our music is heavy and angry, but we have
learned that the sheer emotion of the things we write about have
helped people get through hard times. We want to help people channel
their emotions into something positive. That is 100 percent of the
reason why this band is here. This is why I'm doing what I'm doing, to
inspire. If you're not helping others, or at least contributing to
someone's benefit, then I don't understand why you'd even be alive."
The unstoppable momentum that has fueled the young frontman
since he left Attack Attack! and formed Of Mice & Men in Orange
County, California has propelled the group's songs across two
incredible records, each of them steeped in the life experiences of an
intensely hard-working artist who has lived in at least eight states.
The 1936 literary classic from Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck,
from which the band takes its name, contains the phrase "the best laid
plans of mice and men often go awry." This bit of wisdom has defined
the band's spirit: Of Mice & Men battles down obstacles with strength
and perseverance, no matter what is thrown their way.
"I'm here, alive, and I'm relentless, I'm relentless, I'm
relentless," Carlile screams in "Ohioisonfire" with nothing less than the
utmost conviction. "I'm not going anywhere," the singer once told
AltPress.com. "It's going to take more than a little open heart surgery
[or] a fork in the road to stop myself and Of Mice & Men."
The band's screamo / metalcore-redefining self-titled debut laid
the foundation for the album that was to follow, The Flood, which
remerged in a brand new Deluxe Edition packed with four new tracks
produced by Cameron Webb (30 Seconds To Mars, Flyleaf) and mixed
by Joey Sturgis (Asking Alexandria, We Came As Romans).
The Flood added the nu-metal bounce of genre defining bands
like Linkin Park, Chevelle and Papa Roach that once dominated the
radio airwaves to the group's signature style, all while maintaining a
sound that is distinctly original and purely Of Mice & Men through-andthrough.
Guitarists Alan Ashby and Phil Mansala name-check guys like
Slash to Guitar World with good reason, as there are several moments
of guitar bombast throughout their accomplished music. Drummer
Valentino Arteaga holds up the bottom end with tasteful fills, driving
rhythms and a commitment to intensity to match the band's ever
growing exploration of song-structure and broadminded accessibility.
Whether listeners are dealing with broken families or broken
homes, trouble with the people around them or thoughts of suicide, Of
Mice & Men put their hearts on their sleeves and throw down a mixture
of aggressive anthems and melodic melodrama that creates an instant
connection. The video for Carlile's tribute to his late mother, "Second
and Sebring" (from the first album), has amassed over 3.2 million
views on YouTube. Songs like "Still YDG'N" are messages to anyone
who has ever felt the ground ripped from beneath their feet to stay
planted and to stay strong.
The new tracks on the two-disc Deluxe Edition of The Flood --
"The Calm," "The Storm," "The Flood" and "The Death" - form their
own conceptual EP. "The songs really tell a story," Carlile explains. "If
you really pay attention to the lyrics, it takes the listener on a small
journey."
Of Mice & Men's obsessive attention to detail -- which
encompasses everything from the artwork to the band's constant
interaction with their fans through social media -- is precisely why the
group has built such a strong connection with the audience. Their
authenticity is palpable and their shared struggles relatable.
"Everything, from the music to our performance, from the lyrics to the
fact that we don't have backtracks, is real," emphasizes Carlile.
Even with a groundswell of positive support beneath them all
around the world, Of Mice & Men remain hungry for new experiences,
new relationships, new challenges and have their eyes set on the
always moving horizon in front of them. "I want to skydive onto stage.
I want to have pyrotechnics. I want to say, 'Up next is Linkin Park' and
'up next is Slipknot,'" proclaims the singer and band co-founder. "I
always want to be the best at whatever I do. And if I'm not the best,
I'm going to work my ass off until I can get as damn close as I can.
"My family and my dad taught me that under no circumstances
do you give up or stop," he adds. "He taught me how to work hard and
he taught me that if you want something, you have to work for it. You
have to give 100 percent of what you are or who you are or you're not
going to get anything out of it. I've seen what hard work does and
what heart does. If you're passionate about something and you have
just a sliver of talent, the rest is hard work. A lot of bands don't work
as hard as we do. We're going to keep pushing for more. We're not
going to stop until we're satisfied... And for me, that will be never!"